Eobbet kelso



(No Model.)

B. KELSO.

BUSTLE.

No. 384,707. Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

O Q O N. PETERS, Photo-Lilhogmphar, Washington D. a

STATES ROBERT KELSO, OF BEVERLY, NEW JERSEY.

BUSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,707, dated January 19, 1886.

Application filed July 2, 1884. Serial No. 136,648.

(No model.) Patented in Belgium July 28, 1885, No. 69,735; in France July 28,

1885, No; 170,359 in England July 28, 1885, No. 9,073, and in AustriaHungary October 10, 1885, No. 27,821.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT KELSO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bustles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section.

My invention has for its object to provide a light, durable, and elastic bustle, which can be readily compressed, and which will unfailingly assume its normal position when relieved of impact or pressure.

My invention consists of a bustle composed of braided or plaited wire in the form of a tubular section or sections,duly provided with means for securing it to the person of the wearer or to a garment.

In carrying my invention into effect I take wire of a suitable kind (preferably tempered steel wire) and braid or plait it into a seamless tube. The shape of the tube may be varied at will, and may be cylindrical, oval, or elliptical, or otherwise in transverse section. It may be of uniform diameter throughout or of varying diameters-for example, greatest in the middle and tapering toward either end; or it may be made wider at one end than at the other. To this tubular sectionor part I attach in any suitable manner, as by sewing or by metallic fasteners, 'a waistband provided with a buckle or equivalent attachment to permit it to be secured to the person of the wearer; or it may be furnished with any suitable fastening device for securing it to a garment.

I may employ two or more of the tubular sections and vary the sizes and relative proportions thereof to conform'to different styles and changes of fashions. Where a plurality of sections are employed, they may be attached to each other by any suitable flexible connection which will permit them to fold, lap, or play upon one another, as comfort, convenience, or style may require, and they may also be independent of attachment directly to one another; but all have their ends or one end of each secured to the waistband.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A indicates a section composed of strands of steel wire braided or plaited to form a tube. This tubular section is of less diameter at the ends than at the middle, being enlarged at the latter place to form a swell and provide that amount of projection which the nature of the bustle requires.

B is a waistband, to which the tubular section is duly attached, by any suitable means, both at the ends a a of the latter and at any suitable point or points between such ends. One such section, A, of suitable shape and dimensions, may, if desired, form with the waistband the complete bustle, and two or more such sections, A A may be employed to compose the bustle, being united one to and above the other or to the waistband, or being arranged to stand side by side with their axes vertical, or approximately so.

A bustle thus constructed may be manufactured at comparatively small expense. It will be light and very durable. If composed of fine wire of good temper, it will yield readily under the Weight or impact of the wearer when the latter sits down, and will instantly assume its normal projection and contour when relieved of the wearers weight or impact, having high resilient properties and capacity to sustain a considerable weight of dress with- .out yielding in any appreciable degree or fiattening.

I am aware that the application, broadly, of a spring made of plaited or braided wire to a garment is not new, the same being shown in the patent to Jenkins, No. 225,754.. I therefore do not claim such application as my invention, the latter being a bustle in which such springs constitute an element of construction.

I am aware that braided wire has been already manufactured, and that its use as a dress-stiffener has been contemplated previous to my invention. I do not, therefore, broadly claim braided wire as a dress-stiffener, but limit my claim to a bustle constructed as hereinafter claimed-that is to say,

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. Abustle comprising a tubular section or sections of braided or plaited wire, provided with means of attachment to awearer or garment, substantially as set forth.

2. A bustle comprising a plurality of tubn In testimony that I claim the foregoing I I0 1ar sections of plaited or braided wire, secured have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of to a waistband or fastening device, substan- J une, 1881-. tially as set forth. l

- 3. The combination, with a waistband or at- ROBERT KELSO. taching device, of a hustle-body composed of a seamless section or sections of tubular form Witnesses: of braided or plaited wire, substantially as set ANDREW ZANE, J r., forth. J OHN M. SOIIAEFER. 

